


In Fate's Hands

by crypticxtwilight



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel), ピオフィオーレの晩鐘 | Piofiore no Banshou (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, F/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:49:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crypticxtwilight/pseuds/crypticxtwilight
Summary: In the midst of trying to apprehend the criminal attempting to destroy Burlone, Liliana joins forces with the Falzone Family, the Viscounti Family, and the Lao Shu as well as the Church to save the city. However, one day, Liliana accidentally finds an old pocket watch at the church in Arca, wondering who left it behind. She keeps it with her, hoping to return it to its rightful owner. But before the meeting between the mafia bosses begins, the same pocket watch starts to emanate with a powerful light…Meanwhile, after a shopping spree, Impey comes back with plenty of material for his latest invention. However, the group discovers that he obtained a cheap item, which is an old but nicely preserved compass. Lupin and the whole group have their suspicions about it, but Impey waves it off saying he needed a new one. When the group ventures out into the city of London at night, the compass begins to mysteriously glow…Little do both parties know that their worlds will soon collide head on in more ways than one.
Relationships: Impey Barbicane/Cardia Beckford, Yang (Piofiore no Banshou)/Liliana
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story first came along when a friend and I were joking around about how it would be hilarious if the crew from Piofiore could encounter the characters from Code:Realize. Not long afterwards, my brain somehow turned that idea into this strange, universe/world-traveling story, lol. Initially, I had some trouble piecing together how the two vastly different games could be connected, but after tinkering around with the details, it managed to become a cohesive plot.
> 
> The Code:Realize portion picks up from Impey's route and its best ending, but it does not take the fandisc, Future Blessings, into account. The Piofiore section begins partway into the Finale Route and continues the story from there with an alternative take on the plot. So, the story is based on canon material, but it diverges into its own plot.
> 
> More thoughts at the end~ Enjoy!

Impey merrily whistled, proud of his big haul from this morning. Last night, all of their buddies came to visit them. Since they were living their separate lives, it was tough to find time to spend together like before. But they kept in contact and decided to meet up at what was once Saint Germain’s mansion. Since Saint Germain seemed to have permanently moved back to France for personal reasons, he handed over the mansion’s rights to Cardia and Impey with the promise that they would take care of the house. 

Victor tagged along with Impey because he also had some things he needed to buy for the small clinic he opened up downtown. Plus, Impey and he were working on a secret project, so it was imperative for the two of them to hatch a plan and obtain the necessary materials together. 

“You certainly bought a lot, though.” Victor commented, carrying his smaller belongings.

“Oh, haha! Well, there were a lot of materials on sale, so I couldn’t help it! My senses begin to tingle when I think about all the things I could build!” Impey giddily commented. 

Victor completely understood Impey as he also became equally excited when it related to alchemy or anything related to science. Many people laughed at Impey’s behavior, but Victor knew it was just Impey’s personality, which wasn’t a reflection of his true talents. 

He met lots of intelligent and smart people when he worked in the government as an official alchemist. However, when he encountered Impey, he could share his enthusiasm for the wonders of science and not have people stare at him as though he was speaking in a foreign language. It was even more surprising how they both believed that science should benefit humanity instead of being developed to commit any bloodshed.

Despite Impey not having any formal training, he still knew quite a bit and was highly knowledgeable especially when it came to math and engineering. Victor wasn’t too shabby himself when it came to mathematics and arithmetic, but what surprised him most was that Impey was mainly self-taught. It only further highlighted how much Impey loved what he did. 

“I was shocked by how cheap some of it was.” Victor remarked, feeling glad that he could save some money especially since he was on a budget.

“If you know where to go, then you can find anything for a good price.” Impey winked as he stuck his thump up in reassurance.

Van had been outside training his guns, utilizing dummy targets. He worked out early in the morning after eating breakfast since he wanted to keep his skills honed. Even though he no longer worked as a part of Twilight, he still was a hired bodyguard, working alongside Delacroix II, or Delly, as they called him.

He breathed out a sigh of relief when the last rock salt landed on the ground. He supposed that should be enough for the day. After he cleaned up his station, he began to casually walk up to the entrance, but then he spotted Impey prancing like an idiotic fool with Victor next to him from the corner of his eye. 

He wondered what could have made that buffoon so unusually cheerful. That foolhardy smile puzzled Van because he never met another person who could be so goddamn cheery all the time. Apparently, Impey was the sole exception. It didn’t help the guy possessed an attitude that was as flimsy as paper. The only redeeming features he had were cooking and engineering. Van questioned Impey’s engineering skills since things tended to blow up into a fiery mess, but at the end of the day, Impey’s inventions did save him and the group more than once.

Victor spotted Van at the doorway and kindly greeted him, “Hey, Van. How are you doing?” 

“I’m fine.” Van simply answered without much thought. “How was the trip?” 

“It was good. Impey helped me find the best shops for the best prices.” Victor humbly answered. 

“Really?” Van dubiously raised one eyebrow at Victor’s words. 

“You bet! I know all the top-notch stores to buy everything!” Impey proudly exclaimed.

“I’m surprised you didn’t get scammed.” Van ignored Impey’s words and sardonically remarked. 

“Hey! What do you take me for?!” Impey felt slightly insulted by Van’s harsh words.

“Um, it’s a little early in the morning to be bickering, guys.” Victor played the middleman before the two of them beat each other up into a bloody pulp.

Inside his spacious office, Saint Germain noticed every book and statue dusted and wiped off to perfection without a single speck. He chuckled to himself, knowing it must have been Cardia and Impey keeping their word. When he first encountered Impey and Lupin along with their seemingly crazy plan, he never thought, for a moment, that he would encounter people who would dramatically change his life. In fact, they ended up becoming some of his closest friends. Not to mention, he also met a spectacular woman, namely Cardia.

He stepped over towards his desk and spotted a picture adorned with a lavish frame. It was after they won the airship battle, and everyone cheerfully posed for the photo. He distinctly recalled how Impey screwed up big time and how Van was prepared to slay him for his erroneous ways. With this strange crew, including himself, they had experienced life-threatening situations and almost died on more than one occasion, but he never regretted it. It granted him the chance to meet characters from all walks of life who led complicated and flawed lives. But they never let it stop them from pursuing their goals with what they believed to be their best intentions. Being with this group made him hopeful that one day humanity could walk down the right path. 

He then carefully studied Cardia’s smiling face before putting down the photo. He had come to admire such a beautiful albeit lonely woman. Initially, she carried such a forlorn expression on her face that seemed empty and lifeless like a true doll. That image of hers had been imprinted into Saint Germain’s mind only because it reminded him much about himself and how he viewed life. 

As they spent more time together, his heart had been moved when he noticed how much brighter Cardia became. It was no secret that Impey played a huge role in helping her discover her true character. He couldn’t deny that he was a bit envious of Impey, but at the same time, he was happier, knowing Impey and Cardia found love in each other. More importantly, Cardia grasped what it meant to be a human being, what it meant to love, and what it meant to live. In a way, by witnessing Cardia’s profound metamorphosis, he also regained a part of what he had lost so long ago. 

Saint Germain heard a knock on the door and heard Lupin’s voice. “Hey, Count. I’m coming in.”

“Lupin?” Saint Germain inquisitively stared at Lupin who stepped inside. 

“Oh, sorry for interrupting you. You lent me this book last night, so I wanted to return it to you.” Lupin explained himself in a friendly manner. 

Lupin had been conducting research on the history of London and the structure of buildings within London alongside Herlock Sholmes since the two of them shared the similar goal. They aimed to uncover Twilight and its purpose all while hoping to put a stop to the supposed terrorist plan. Unfortunately, any evidence of the organization evaporated out of existence as if they had never been created. Not to mention, St. Paul’s Cathedral had been oddly demolished overnight. 

However, Lupin was determined to get to the bottom of this. It was the only reason he sucked up his pride and cooperated with Herlock. If he could, he would never step within a meter of the guy, but he had little choice. As much as he prided himself on his skills, there were limits to what he could do alone.

“Yes, I see. I hope it was useful.” Saint Germain nodded his head, remembering how Lupin asked him for some books last night.

“No worries. It was informative.” Lupin confidently answered with a chuckle. 

To this day, Lupin had been impressed by Saint Germain’s collection of books and art. Even though the Count could be a bit eccentric, he was an overall good guy with a wide depth of knowledge.

When it was just Impey and him, they had been struggling with leads on how to proceed. Some days, they produced little results because of the constant dead ends. Not to mention, they had been scrimping on food and living expenses because of the meager budget they had. Once they ran into the Count, Lupin miraculously discovered about Cardia’s whereabouts, and their fortunes were looking up. After that point, they had gone on a wild journey and even stopped a madman from destroying all of London into smithereens. 

Sadly, Lupin’s own purpose of uncovering the terrorists’ plans was not met with such luck. However, he couldn’t let that stop him. He had to dig up the truth.

“Haha, are you still working on finding the terrorist plan that was supposed to happen?” Saint Germain curiously inquired. 

“Yeah, pretty much. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of evidence. But I highly doubt they disappeared. There has to be some trace left.” Lupin responded as he thought about the dry leads he came across.

“Even working with the Herlock Sholmes, I see.” Saint Germain lightly teased Lupin who was known to greatly dislike the detective. 

“Hahaha, it’s a strange twist of fate. What can I say?” Lupin waved it off, knowing Saint Germain meant no ill will by it. 

Had it been anyone else, Lupin might have threatened a punch to the face. Even though he advocated against violence, there were some things in which he made an exception for. However, Saint Germain was known for his sharp tongue all while wearing a gentleman’s façade. It might have made some scared of him, but Lupin could sense a hidden gentleness underneath Saint Germain’s mysterious cloak.

“Oh? It seems Impey and Victor have returned.” Saint Germain peered out the window, spotting Van, Victor, and Impey bantering outside. 

“Really? Ha! I wonder what sort of new things Impey bought.” Lupin curiously said, thinking how Impey could get a bit overboard with his creations. 

Outside, Victor noticed Van with his shotguns and guessed he must have been training. That guy never missed a day to refine his craft. 

“Oh, that’s good to hear. I hope you didn’t injure yourself during your rigorous training.” Victor jokingly commented as he was aware their group liked to do everything to the extreme. 

Van simply grunted at Victor’s line. What did he look like? A reckless child? He didn’t need anyone to thrust their concerns upon him.

“And what did you buy?” Van directed his question at Impey.

He could only imagine as to what the hell Impey purchased. Obviously, Van was curious only because Impey could create such a ruckus with his experiments.

“Huh? Just my usual stuff.” Impey shrugged, unsure of what the big deal was. 

The door to the mansion opened up with Lupin being the culprit. 

“Yo, are you guys going to stand outside all day?” Lupin cheerfully inserted himself into the conversation. 

Van frowned at Lupin’s sudden appearance but said nothing as he entered inside the mansion first without waiting for anyone else’s response. It was like the guy contained some hidden secret sixth sense. He had a knack for appearing at the most convenient times. 

“We’re coming. We’re coming.” Impey answered with his usual grin. 

As everyone filed inside, Impey remembered the gift he bought for Cardia as well. When Victor and he temporarily split up to buy some of their goods, he spotted a merchant selling this neat-looking compass for super cheap. He wasn’t a materialistic person, and neither was Cardia, but he felt it would be a great gift for her. 

She never spoke about wanting anything in particular, but from his perspective, Cardia deserved the world and much more for how selfless she was. She was a wonderful beauty with a tremendous heart and a kind soul. Even though she couldn’t touch anything without melting due to her insidious poison, Impey admired how Cardia never gave up and persisted despite the odds. It was one of the many reasons he came to love such an amazing person.

“Hey, Lupin. How is your search going?” Victor greeted him as they headed inside with Lupin closing the door behind Impey and Victor. 

“It’s coming along. I’m still tracking down some leads, though.” Lupin honestly answered Victor’s question with a defeating sigh.

“I’m sure you’ll find what you need sooner or later.” Saint Germain finally came downstairs and joined the rest of the group.

“If you need any help, then don’t hesitate to ask us.” Van nonchalantly added with his arms folded as usual. 

Impey snickered at Van’s unexpectedly kind words, unable to believe what his ears were hearing. Van’s offer only further proved how he actually had a squishy, soft heart after all. 

“Haha, it seems the end of the world must be coming with such words escaping from Van.” Saint Germain sarcastically said. 

“I just might take you up on that.” Lupin jokingly added to the teasing.

Van scoffed, finding it irritating that everyone was joining in on the fun at his expense. What was wrong with what he said? He didn’t think he was being that _strange_. 

“It’s only natural to help out others who have assisted you before. That’s all.” Van logically explained himself.

In other words, he was being a kind friend. Despite the cold behavior Van demonstrated to the world, everyone knew Van possessed a caring heart. Although, Victor doubted Van would ever admit that.

Impey glanced over at the grandfather clock, noticing the time. Hmm, Cardia was still out. He wondered where she could have gone. He recalled her saying she would be walking around in London with Sisi. Impey wished he could have gone with Cardia and Sisi, but unfortunately, he had to go to the morning market where they sold rare and good quality parts for his experiments.

Meanwhile, Cardia and Sisi were casually strolling around London, enjoying the peaceful sunshine. It had been sometime since the whole mayhem from last year. Even though she did not discover how to cure her poison yet or find her father, she had been able to help Impey divert a whole disaster from befalling the city of London. 

Even though everyone had gone their separate ways after the fiasco, they had all come back recently to visit for a few days. 

Van had now been working with Delly to find vampires scattered across Britain and assisted in conducting talks between the government and vampires. In doing so, vampires could hopefully live in peace without fear of persecution. As for Lupin, he assisted Herlock Sholmes in tracking down Twilight, but they seemed to have vanished into thin air, and their headquarters, St. Paul’s Cathedral, suddenly collapsed, leaving behind no evidence of Twilight’s existence. Saint Germain had been busy in France, taking care of personal matters. However, like everyone else, he had returned to London, which overjoyed Cardia. Victor opened his own clinic within London where he saw patients for free or for quite cheap. He had also been working with the government despite being on bad terms with Queen Victoria before. 

“Arf! Arf!” Sisi barked, breaking Cardia out of her thoughts. 

“Oh, sorry, Sisi. Let’s hurry home. It’s almost lunchtime.” Cardia realized how long they had been out. 

She then walked past the pier and noticed the “carnival” set up. Oh, right. The mafia group, London Firm, operated this place. Since they could not meet up often like this, Cardia hoped to do something with everyone. Maybe they could go to the casino tonight. Oh, but wasn’t Lupin banned from winning too much that one time? Perhaps they could somehow get in with Van’s credentials. Hmm, she would have to consult with the group. 

She quickly skipped on home with Sisi, thrilled by the prospect. 

When they returned home, she heard the guys talking in the living room. 

“The Count is right, Impey. It seems to be too much of a coincidence that someone randomly gave you an item that looks much like an artifact.” Cardia recognized Victor’s even tone. 

“Hmm? What’s going on?” Cardia blinked her eyes, wondering why they were all crowded around the table. 

“Impey seems to have picked up some antique and seemingly rare item.” Saint Germain calmly explained when he saw Cardia appear. “Although, one would wonder how he managed to do so.”

Saint Germain had an unsettling feeling about this compass. Being an art and artifact collector, he came across many antique items. However, none had ever emitted such a peculiar energy such as this one. It felt like something which could be related to Idea. However, that couldn’t be possible. There was no way normal people could obtain such items.

“After all this time together! After all the adventures we have survived through?! Why don’t you guys believe me? I got this for real!” Impey cried out, feeling attacked by his good friends. 

Cardia noticed that it was a black compass, which showed a few signs of wear and tear along with a thin layer of dust. Its golden engravings brightly shimmered in the light. Even though she was not a craftsman, she could tell how much delicate thought and care had been carved into this compass. With the right tools, one could make it appear brand-spanking new since it seemed to be in good condition otherwise. 

“Did you go shopping, Impey?” was the only guess Cardia could hazard. 

“Of course, the idiot did. How else would he get something like this?” Van stated as if it was completely obvious.

“H-h-hey! I bought a ton of stuff, and the merchant gave it to me for a discount.” Impey explained, then added, “Well, I needed a new one anyways.” 

Hopefully, that would get everyone off from his back. Goddammit. He loved his buddies, but sometimes he lamented on the inside as to how much they distrusted him at times. Ookay, so he didn’t exactly need a new one, but whatever! It was not too expensive, and it was a gift for Cardia. He was sure, though, they would all tease him even further if he admitted the latter half.

“Until you find out that it doesn’t work, and you got tricked.” Lupin poked fun at Impey with a smirk on his face.

Lupin was aware that Impey would never steal, but he liked to pick on the guy because of how earnest he could be. Impey might have acted like the world’s biggest idiot, but Lupin couldn’t deny the guy’s engineering talent and his genius cooking skills. As Cardia once described, Impey had the heart of a soft teddy bear.

Saint Germain silently dropped the subject, but he pondered about it. He would have to do some investigating on his own, it seemed.

Victor simply chuckled while everyone hurled insults at Impey. As usual, he did his best to play the peacemaker. “Come on, guys. Let’s all calm down and eat, shall we?” 

They had been separated for quite some time, but Cardia observed how the dynamic between the group never changed. It was as if they had never been apart. 

“Yes, eat _my_ food!” Impey emphasized. 

Cardia giggled at Impey’s reaction. In the end, no one really meant it. They loved to tease him because of the way he tended to act on the outside. However, deep down, they trusted him due to his amazing abilities as an engineer. 

As everyone headed to the dining room, Cardia picked up the object and curiously stared at it. The direction of the compass changed ever so slightly as she moved around. Wow, so this was a compass. She had never seen one in person. She had seen it before on the airship one time, but this was a lone compass encased in a spiffy, fancy box even though it was a bit tattered.

“Do you like it?” Impey quietly approached her. 

He never thought he would meet such an amazing woman. Even though she had been searching for her purpose and her reason to live, she remained steadfast and strong in the face of adversity. To him, she was a miracle that carried his dream and hopes. It was why he wished to find way to cure her poison, which plagued Cardia to this day.

“Yeah, it’s pretty.” Cardia nodded, carefully studying it. 

“If you want, you can keep it.” Impey gently held onto her shoulder as she leaned against him. 

“I can? But I thought you needed it.” Cardia looked up at him as he happily smiled, but then cleared his throat. 

Oh, right. He did say that earlier, didn’t he? Eh, well, no one needed to know the truth.

“Ahem, I mean, yeah, but I can always get another one.” Impey heartily chuckled, waving it off. 

Cardia beautifully smiled as her eyes radiated with pure excitement. Impey blushed, seeing such innocence being lit up in those mesmerizing eyes. Ah, geez. Despite having confessed to her and asked for her hand in marriage, he still couldn’t help but be embarrassed when she became happy because of something he did for her. If this was love, then he didn’t regret being with this spectacular woman. 

“Thanks.” Cardia softly said, wishing she could kiss him on the cheek. 

Unfortunately, because of her poison, she couldn’t do anything intimate with Impey. But she placed her gloved hand over his and tightly squeezed it to show her appreciation. Impey knew what she meant and affectionately returned her lovely gesture.

“Hey, love birds. Hurry up! The rest of us are starving!” Lupin called out.

XOXOXOXO

Liliana had been sweeping the church, preparing for tonight’s meeting. When the mafia bosses of Burlone, which included Gilbert, Dante, and Yang, met up at the casino last time, they deduced that it was the Direttore of the casino who had been pulling the strings, causing mayhem within Burlone. Thus, they decided to meet secretly at the church within Arca to avoid the Direttore from catching onto their suspicions. Tonight, they would be discussing their plans moving forward. Orlok was here to represent the Church’s wishes and demands, so he was included in tonight’s meeting as well.

She was greatly appreciative for Sister Sofia allowing the mafia bosses to meet here. Ever since it was decided that Liliana would return to the church, she returned to taking care of the orphans and cleaning the church as usual. At night, she organized and mediated the mafia meetings. 

“Lili.” She heard Orlok speak up. “Should I dust this off?”

He was here early and helping her out, being nice like always. She noticed he was pointing to one of the statues, and Liliana immediately nodded.

“Yes, that would help. Thank you.” Liliana replied, then sighed out loud, feeling satisfied with the cleanliness of the floor. 

Orlok had been quietly studying Liliana as he assisted her within her duties. Even though she was the Key of Maiden, she gleamed with a certain sparkle that he had never seen before. She moved with such optimism and hope that it made him look at the brighter side of life. To him, she was certainly befitting her title and her role. 

“No problem.” Orlok quietly said as he proceeded to do so. 

Liliana couldn’t believe that Orlok was a Disciple for the Church. He was so young that she wondered how he came to work for the Church. She was curious, but she figured he would tell her whenever he felt comfortable, so she never approached the topic. In any case, it did not lessen her view of him. He obviously had a kind heart and was a religious person. Not to mention, he highly respected Bishop Rosberg. 

She heard the bell toll, signaling a new hour. Hmm? Was it that time already? She decided to put the broom away and checked outside to see if anyone was coming. 

“I’m going to leave the door opened, but I’ll be right outside, Orlok.” Liliana mentioned, so he would not needlessly worry. 

“Oh, okay.” Orlok hesitantly said as she left. 

Orlok learned early on that Liliana was a woman who couldn’t be stopped when she made up her mind. Despite being thrusted into this dangerous situation, she faced the whole incident head on and didn’t allow fear to control her. He greatly admired that strength within her. Of course, he felt too embarrassed to say any of this to her. So, he was content with watching her from a distance. It wasn’t the most desired scenario he would have wished, but as long as Liliana was happy, then so was he.

Liliana stood outside and left the door ajar, so Orlok could still see her. She then remembered the old pocket watch she found in the church the other day. She had been keeping it in her pocket, hoping to find its owner, but she had no such luck. Every day, she asked various churchgoers if someone lost a silver pocket watch. Unfortunately, she never encountered such a person. 

She decided to take it out, so she could get a better look at it. The pocket watch did not seem old, but there were some beautiful designs adorned on it, making Liliana wonder who the craftsman was. This precious pocket watch must be someone’s heirloom, but there was no name or mark signifying who it belonged to. Who could have carelessly left it behind?

“Lili, what are you looking at?” She heard a familiar voice and looked up, recognizing Nicola. 

“O-oh. Just something I picked up the other day. That’s all.” Liliana quickly shoved it into her dress pocket. “Anyways, you’re early.” 

Nicola had spotted a pocket watch, but Liliana already put it away before he could inquire further about it. Oh, he was curious as to who gave such an interesting item to her. Was it someone within Arca courting her? If that was the case, he wouldn’t doubt it. After all, she was a very beautiful woman with a gracious heart, although a tad bit too naïve in his eyes. But it was all a part of her mysterious charm.

“We can’t afford to show up late to these meetings.” Nicola chuckled at Liliana’s cute expression. 

Dante stepped right next to Nicola and interrupted the conversation, “Let’s hurry inside.” 

Regrettably, Dante was not simply here to meet with Liliana. He was here to conduct official business with the Viscounti and Lao Shu. Normally, he would never work with either mafia groups, but because the situation within Burlone was spiraling out of control, he had no choice but to concede. It was impossible for the Falzone Family to solve this massive problem alone. In the end, their duty was to protect the relic and the city of Burlone. To do that, he would work with anyone to carry out this sacred task.

“Yes, of course. I mean, I’ll just wait out here.” Liliana was caught off guard by Dante’s presence. 

She did not know Dante very well, so sometimes his presence frightened her. But she could also sense a certain gentleness from him. She curiously wondered if that was his true personality rather than the stern expression, which he wore on his face almost all the time.

“It’s not safe to stay out here.” Dante insisted, not understanding why Liliana had to be so persistent. 

“It’s all right. It’s not like anyone is going to attack the church.” Nicola reassured Dante who continued to wear his usual frown. 

Lost in his thoughts, Dante pondered in silence as he stared at Liliana. The other bosses would show up soon, so it shouldn’t be a problem, per say. But he did not completely trust Gilbert, and he definitely trusted Yang even less. Thus, Dante had to remain wary despite their provisional alliance.

Tonight, each mafia boss came to this church for a common cause, which was to stop the Direttore and his schemes. In order to do so, they held a temporary truce and refrained from slaughtering each other on sight. But in the mafia world, it was difficult to distinguish who was a true friend or foe. 

“Is the meeting going to held out here?” Gilbert’s jovial voice echoed from behind. 

“Hello, Gilbert.” Liliana politely greeted. 

“Hey, Lili. How are you doing?” Gilbert kindly greeted her. “Has everything been all right for you?”

Liliana had been living at his mansion for some time, allowing him to discover a gorgeous woman with a stunning personality. However, it was decided that she could and should return to the Church. That way, she would not be in as much danger as opposed to sticking next to him. The thought disappointed him, but he wasn’t in the habit of letting pretty girls die if he could prevent it.

Dante narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing as he watched the exchange. That man had a way of being too friendly with women. In particular, he was very amiable with Liliana, and Dante had his doubts about Gilbert’s intentions around her.

“We were about to go inside. Would you like to join us?” Nicola teasingly asked, noticing Gilbert flirt with Liliana.

Leave it to Gilbert to not miss his chance to court Liliana. Nicola could sense Dante’s piercing eyes glaring at Redford. That in itself made Nicola chuckle a little. Who would have guessed that this one woman could capture the hearts of all the men she ever met? Even he felt strangely attracted to her odd kindness. 

“Oh, haha, right. Of course. It would be rude of me to stay out here.” Gilbert smoothed out the situation with his usual charming smile.

Gilbert admired how cunning and sly Nicola could be. Dante was lucky to have him as a right-hand man. He could feel Dante throwing invisible sharp daggers at him, but he feigned ignorance. Did it have something to do with Liliana or his role as the Viscounti boss? He bet that it was both, although Dante’s icy demeanor had only strengthened since Liliana’s involvement. Eh, such was the way of the mafia life. He had been under worse pressure from crueler people before. This wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

Liliana blinked at their interaction, sensing obvious hostility radiating from Gilbert and Dante. Hmm, maybe it was because they were still from different mafia families, so they weren’t exactly friends. It was a shame, though, because she could tell that they all deeply cared about Burlone despite their personalities or end goals. 

“Are you going to stay outside?” Gilbert noticed Liliana who wasn’t coming inside. 

“Oh, um, I just wanted to make sure everyone got here. And to get some fresh air, too.” Liliana explained her reasoning. 

“Yang will probably be late like always.” Nicola casually commented. 

Dante sighed, but he said nothing in response and quietly stepped inside the church. He recalled Yang once saying that he had no need to adopt the customs of other countries. However, Dante felt that was a convenient excuse Yang liked to throw out there simply because he could.

Gilbert concurred with Nicola, “Probably. In either case, we’ll have to wait for him.” 

Yang was like a ruthless snake who silently waited for its prey to lower its guard. You always had to keep one eye on him. If you weren’t careful, he could easily stab you in the back without hesitation. That was how Gilbert saw him. He had no particular hatred towards him, as they were all in the mafia business. But it only made him a fierce opponent.

Orlok had been quietly watching everyone interact with each other. However, he said nothing because he felt no need to. It wasn’t that he hated everyone in the room, but what would he even say? He had no wish to include himself in their strange bantering.

“Wait for who?” Yang magically appeared behind them. 

Liliana was startled by his presence. When did he get here? She didn’t even hear his footsteps or anything. It was almost like he poofed out of nowhere. 

“Nice of you to join us, Yang.” Gilbert pretended as if they had never said about Yang and suavely greeted him.

Yang irritatingly sighed, not finding Gilbert the least bit interesting. This whole meeting was to establish the facts concerning the counterfeit of currency taking place and how they were going to obtain evidence of the Direttore’s crimes. It was to be a mundane meeting for him. On the upside, he would be granted the delicious opportunity to stare at Liliana during the meeting. She would keep him from falling asleep from the monotonous discussion.

“Haha, now the rest of us can go inside.” Nicola half-jokingly said for what felt like the millionth time.

Dante stoically stared at the rest of them who were still standing around the entrance. Leave it to Yang to make some grand entrance. Who was he trying to impress? 

Liliana felt a bit nervous being surrounded by a bunch of the mafia bosses, but she kept her best poker face on. She was determined to save Burlone because of how much she loved this town. It wasn’t perfect, but it was her home. She had to do whatever she could to help. As she walked up the stoned steps lost in her thoughts, she had not been paying attention to her footing and accidentally lost her balance. 

“Ahh!” Liliana shouted, suddenly feeling like she was freefalling to her death. Right now, she was supremely afraid that her head would crack open, and that would be the end of her. Oh, no! How could she be so foolishly careless?

“Lili!” Gilbert and Nicola called out, fearful for what could befall her.

Orlok and Dante panicked, and they both rushed over to save her. However, they were both too late as Yang made the first move.

Without thinking, Yang, who was conveniently behind her, quickly rescued her from a disastrous fall, wrapping his arm around her voluptuous waist. He had no idea if it was from some silly God above, but he certainly was at the right spot at the right time. From this distance, he could take in the luscious scent from this interesting Italian woman. 

Liliana almost expected to be half-dead on the ground. However, she felt something warm across her waist and wondered who or what was holding onto her. 

“I don’t mind if you want to stay like this all evening. I rather quite enjoy this view.” Yang sarcastically spoke with a devious smirk on his face.

Liliana’s eyes widened, realizing what took place. “Ah! I-I’m sorry!” 

She was frightened by her misstep, but she was even more afraid of Yang! Ahh! She still wanted to live a long life. God, please help her!

Everyone watched in shock with what was happening in front of them. Dante didn’t believe for one second that Yang saved Liliana for any good reason. All Gilbert could think about was how strange destiny could be. Orlok was apprehensive about Yang’s intentions, but he rescued her after all, so he couldn’t complain. Nicola simply smiled, finding the whole situation bizarre and hilarious.

Before she could move, Nicola heard a loud ticking sound that bounced off in his eardrums. He darted his eyes around the scenery as he tried to deduce where it could have come from. 

“Did anyone else hear that?” Nicola warily asked, breaking his attention away from Yang and Liliana. 

“I’m not carrying a watch on me.” Gilbert commented also equally curious as to the source of the sound. 

Yang raised one eyebrow, also hearing the same noise. However, as he was closest to Liliana, he noticed the sound was loudest in his direction. He certainly had no use for a junk item like that, so it wasn’t him. This woman must have been carrying one on her, as he noticed that her pocket seemed a bit bulkier. He hastily reached into Liliana’s pocket, figuring she must have been stashing it in there. Dante slightly gaped at Yang’s abrasive actions. 

“What are you doing, Yang?” Dante suspiciously eyed him. 

“It’s Lili’s pocket watch.” Yang, who still had a grip on Lili, took it out and dangled it in front of everyone. 

“A pocket watch?” Orlok stared at it in confusion, mainly puzzled as to why Liliana needed such an item.

“Is that yours, Lili?” Nicola genuinely asked out of curiosity. 

He had seen her looking at it earlier when he arrived. Lili said it was something she picked up the other day. Judging from her words, it must have not been hers. If that was the case, then whose could it be? 

Liliana quickly shoved Yang’s hand off from her waist, feeling slightly violated. Geez, what was with this guy? Oh, God. His appearance might have been attractive like bees to honey, but she had a sneaky feeling his personality was something much darker. She couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but it was a nagging feeling she had.

Yang chuckled at how energetic she could be, finding it quite amusing. It was unfortunate he couldn’t play with her some more. Not with everyone else in the way. 

He shifted his attention away from Liliana and briefly studied the pocket watch. At first glance, Yang noticed how intricate and well-designed it was. Someone must have had a lot of money to waste in order to afford such an expensive item. He doubted it would have belonged to any of the typical church attendees.

After a moment, she then cleared her throat to answer Nicola’s question, “Um, not exactly. I-”

In the middle of Liliana’s response, the hour hand on the clock gradually spun faster and faster, appearing as though it was losing control. The image seemed like something right out of a fantasy novel. Then, with a mind of its own, the pocket watch flew out of Yang’s hand before it became suspended in the air. The baffling scene flabbergasted everyone as they attempted to process what was unfolding before their very eyes. 

Before anyone had time to react, a sudden burst of blinding light shot out from the pocket watch.

Liliana gasped, feeling herself being swallowed up the fierce light. She told herself to move, but her legs remained frozen, stuck in place out of primal fear. Any resistance she might have had was erased by its powerful force, which left her helpless as if an unknown and slimy force was ready to consume her whole. 

Without thinking, Yang quickly grabbed onto Liliana with one arm and tightly held onto her. He couldn’t be bothered to analyze the inexplicable situation. If this really were some crazy magical power, the least _she_ could do was to hang onto him. He wasn’t in the business of playing the hero, but he was morbidly curious about Liliana’s fate.

“No! Lili!” Dante loudly shouted, irrationally racing towards her as the light only pulled her and Yang further away. 

“Dante! Don’t do it! She’s not worth it!” Nicola instantly threw his arms around Dante to prevent any further harm. 

Gilbert and Orlok were caught by surprise and could only cover their eyes from the extremely bright light. When the sound and light were no more, both Liliana and Yang had vanished, and the pocket watch fell to the ground with a soft thud.

“What… What happened?! Where’s Lili? Did that stupid bastard do something?” Dante shouted in a frenzied panic. 

“No, I doubt it. That strange watch seemed to activate all on its own.” Nicola breathlessly answered. 

Orlok noticed the pocket watch lying on the ground. He carefully walked over and reached down to grab it. Was this an artifact from the Church? He certainly didn’t recognize it. He wondered who gave it to Lili.

“I can go ask the Church and see if anyone knows what this is.” Orlok calmly suggested, looking at the rest of them, and wondered what they would do next.

Orlok was highly worried about Lili and where she could have gone. What was that light? They had to find her quickly. After all, she was the Key of Maiden. 

Gilbert was simply flabbergasted. What the hell? He always read about this kind of shit in books, but for it to happen in real life? That was a big fat zero chance. Until now. Honestly, he had a hard time wrapping his mind around this. Did they just witness fucking magic? 

“Wonderful. Now, the Lao Shu is going to wonder what the hell happened to their boss.” Gilbert spoke up, fearing the consequences of Yang’s disappearance. 

Who the hell was going to believe what they said? The Lao Shu could effortlessly fabricate some half-assed story that the Falzone and Viscounti families conspired against Yang, using this opportunity to kill him. Of course, that wasn’t the case, and Yang wasn’t one to easily die. But in this bloody, cutthroat business, no one believed you. 

“Shit.” Nicola cursed out loud. 

Things had escalated from bad to worst. What were they going to do especially since they were in the middle of a huge crisis?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap~!
> 
> While writing this, I had no idea where the story was going to take me. I just let the characters pull me along wherever they wanted, and here's where it ended up XD I wasn't sure who to pick out for pairings, but I went with Yang/Liliana because I have grown to like them so much as a couple, and Yang is so much fun to write :P Also, I chose Impey/Cardia because they're super cute together~ <3 
> 
> That's all for now, and I hope you enjoyed it :D The next chapter is in the works ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter~! Somehow, I got carried away writing a lot of Impey/Cardia scenes ^^; Impey is such a hilarious guy that I couldn't help it, lol. Not to worry, I do have a scene with Yang/Liliana, although unfortunately, it's not as long >~< However, I am planning to focus more on Yang/Liliana in the next chapter. 
> 
> As always, comments and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated~ :D 
> 
> Enjoy!

“I’m surprised we can still enter this place after what happened last time.” Victor commented once they entered the carnival casino. 

“Hopefully, we can have a peaceful time today.” Saint Germain chuckled at the thought. 

He was not present for that rowdy incident, but he later heard from everyone that it was at this place when Van attacked the bodyguards and hunted down Lupin and the gang in search for Cardia. However, before that whole fiasco, Lupin had won too much money and was told never to come back after milking the casino dry. 

“Haha, hopefully.” Victor nervously smiled as he quietly laughed along with the Count. 

As he came to learn, their group had a tendency to attract major trouble or crazy incidents. Most of the time, it involved their lives being on the line. Unlike everyone else, Victor was not happy about the prospect of fighting. Not because he was a coward, but what normal person would look forward to a fight? However, his words fell on deaf ears since it seemed everyone else had no problem skirting near death.

“Hehe. I’m so ready to gamble.” Lupin cheekily grinned, feeling super lucky today. 

Van crossed his arms, feeling this was a pointless excursion. However, everyone else wanted to go. Who was he to disagree? He also wished to spend time with them since he hardly ever saw them these days. Well, not that he considered them _close friends_ , but he did work closely with everyone here at one point.

“Same here! My genius senses are telling me that we are to win lots!” Impey happily agreed with Lupin. 

He also wanted to show off a _wee bit_ especially since he was in front of Cardia. He couldn’t lose while she was watching him!

“That’s just you being an idiot.” Van snorted at Impey’s silliness. 

“I’ll have you know that I’m a pro at slot machines! Isn’t that right, Cardia?” Impey looked to her for confirmation.

Cardia still recalled how Impey had been caught red-handed trying to cheat at the slot machine and almost got thrown over into the Thames River for his tactics. Hopefully, he wouldn’t do anything too rash or crazy today. 

“Um, I still remember when you almost got beat up for cheating last time, Impey.” Cardia innocently brought up. 

“Oh my god! You’re right. I thought I was going to die before I had a chance to confess my love to you!” Impey loudly gasped as he was clearly still terrified about the debacle.

In that moment, he truly thought he was going to see God and would miss the chance to experience a heart-throbbing romance. He thanked his fortune that he survived the whole horrendous ordeal. 

Van cynically scoffed with his arms crossed, “Too bad you never got to experience the Thames river.” 

“H-h-hey! Who would ever want to experience that?! I like living and, mostly importantly, being in love!” Impey cried out, feeling hurt by Van’s stinging words. 

By now, Impey realized Van loved to insult him left and right in a light-hearted, but cruel manner. It still never made him enthusiastic to hear it from his friend’s mouth.

“Yes, yes, we know.” Lupin heartily laughed along with everyone else who knew Impey’s true, kind-hearted nature. 

Cardia giggled along with everyone. It was moments like these that she cherished because of how warm it made her feel on the inside. Of course, she loved it most when she was with Impey. Together, they created irreplaceable memories, and she held him close to her heart, closer than she did for anyone else.

By being with Impey, Cardia learned that nothing was impossible. Even someone like her could love and be loved in return. That was much more than she could have ever imagined. 

Unlike when they first came to this place, everyone stuck together this time taking in the sights, sounds, and foods. They played a few rounds of Russian roulette and slot machines. For the most part Victor refrained while Impey and Lupin eagerly took part whenever possible. Cardia also tried her hands on the slot machine like last time, winning a few times. Van rolled his eyes at Lupin and Impey being fools, fearing that they were infecting Cardia with their idiocy. Saint Germain happily commented at times, but he mainly watched, as he found himself enjoying the whole evening. 

While everyone else went to buy some food, Cardia waited by the pier as she took this moment to catch her breath. She almost forgot how fun and enjoyable it was to be with everyone.

“Everyone is rowdy as usual, aren’t they?” Saint Germain had stayed behind to watch Cardia. 

The threat of anything happening to Cardia was low, but it never hurt to be careful. So, the group elected Saint Germain to protect Cardia. Everyone thought Impey would be the one to volunteer to stay behind with Cardia, but he insisted on coming, claiming that only he could buy the foods which Cardia specifically liked. Van highly doubted it, but Impey vehemently insisted and would not back down.

“Yes, hehe.” Cardia happily concurred with Saint Germain. 

Compared to when Saint Germain first encountered Cardia, she was now full of life and hope as opposed to when he laid eyes on her in the very beginning. From the bottom of his heart, he was glad to see Cardia transform into such a bright, young woman. He was quite sure a lot of that had to do with Impey despite how much they picked on him for being a hardy buffoon at times. 

“It would be nice if things could stay like this.” Cardia commented as she thought about how much fun today was. 

Of course, that was an unlikely wish of hers. Everyone had their own lives to lead, and their own futures to think about. It was her being a bit selfish. 

“Yes, it would, wouldn’t it?” Saint Germain solemnly said. “Unfortunately, time moves forward like a flowing river. It continues to stream onward regardless of what we may desire.” 

Cardia quietly stared up at Saint Germain. Even after all they had been through, Saint Germain could be so mysterious and wise despite his youthful appearance. 

In any case, he was right. Change was inevitable. That much she knew. If the world stopped moving, then it would be the same as dying. And there was no point in dying when there was so much that had yet to be experienced.

“Heeeeey! Cardia!” Impey came zooming back, interrupting their short-lived conversation, with a trail of smoke behind him. “Look at what I got for you!!!”

Cardia blinked her eyes and incredulously stared at the mountain of food that Impey held in his two hands. She couldn’t even eat that much normally. “That is a lot to eat, Impey. How am I going to finish it all?”

“Huh? You don’t like it? I specifically chose these because I thought you would enjoy it.” Impey worriedly said.

He had been scoping out what to buy as the group waited in line, and then took his time to select what he thought were all the perfect choices. He even made sure to only buy foods that didn’t require any utensils and could be easily consumed with one’s hands. After all, Cardia was still plagued with her deadly poison, and he didn’t want her to feel left out.

Van exasperatedly sighed and added, “Causing the rest of us to have to wait for this buffoon to make up his stupid mind.”

“Food is a precious delicacy! You must always take the time to carefully decide which dishes match with everyone’s palette.” Impey seriously defended himself. 

This was his whole-hearted belief. Food was not only essential for one’s stomach, but also for one’s inner soul. It brought out joy and relief especially when in the company of others. He could attest to this fact whenever he noticed Cardia’s gentle eyes brightened at his creations. And that made his heart soar much more than anything else. He couldn’t exactly cook when they spent time outside, so he had to be even more cautious about choosing what tasted best.

Everyone was well-aware that Impey was a master chef, so no one doubted his expertise. However, he did take quite a long time to choose something for _Cardia_.

“Let’s dig in then.” Victor kindly chuckled, not wanting the food to get cold.

Cardia pretty much liked Impey’s cooking the best, but she didn’t mind eating other kinds of food. To her surprise, Impey had a vast knowledge of many types of cuisines, so she trusted him with whatever he recommended especially when they went grocery shopping together. 

Afterwards, the group managed to eat while chatting and reminiscing about whatever came to their minds. It had been a while since they could sit around and not have to worry about much. Cardia knew what Saint Germain said was true, but as long as they remained in each other’s hearts, they would never forget about each other and the good times they shared as a group. That much she believed. 

Once they had finished eating, they had gone to throw away the trash. Cardia was about to go do it herself, but Impey already beat her to it. 

“Whoa, let me go do it for you!” Impey noticed Cardia was about to join the guys. 

“Huh? Are you sure? I can do it myself.” Cardia blinked her eyes in confusion. 

Impey winked his eye and reassured her, “Hehe, no worries. Let me take care of it.” 

He had no doubt Cardia could do a tiny task like this with no problem, but sometimes, he couldn’t restrain himself from helping her out. She had done so much for him, much more than she imagined. So, he was determined to do what he could for her. Oh, wait, wait, wait. That came out wrong, didn’t it? 

He had no intention of restricting her freedom or stopping her from exploring the world. In fact, he was much happier when she discovered new ideas or concepts. It only made her so much more beautifully captivating especially when he spotted that eager curiosity written all over her gentle expression. If he could, though, he wished to be with her every step of the way and catch her within his arms if she ever fell. 

Lupin softly snickered at Impey being obviously affectionate towards Cardia after he walked away. “Impey can get a little overboard, can’t he?” 

“At times.” Cardia couldn’t deny it since she admired that quality of his.

Whether it was in his work or whatever he set out to do, he never failed to put two hundred percent into it. Some might call it overboard, but she loved witnessing that zealous spirit of his. It was like a huge shining star burning in the night sky that refused to fade away. Sometimes, she worried he would work too much, but any time she saw him engrossed in his studio, she couldn’t help but be bewitched by him. That passion of his managed to capture her heart every time. 

She then slipped out the compass Impey had given to her earlier that day and opened it up. They didn’t have much in the way of money or wealth, but Impey gave her all the love in the world that she could have only dreamed of before. In a strange twist of fate, meeting Impey saved her. His gracious presence saved her soul and spirit from the depths of murky darkness. Perhaps this compass could represent a turning point in their relationship. It would guide her and Impey towards their dreams of traveling to the moon. 

Lupin watched Cardia as she was quietly staring at the compass. After finding out how much Impey and Cardia loved each other, Lupin had no qualms about it. Initially, he worried about Cardia who seemed to think so little of herself. But as time went on, he noticed how her eyes lit up with a vivacious outlook on life, and from that moment, Lupin realized it was due to Impey’s sprightly attitude. 

In the end, Cardia exuded a strong sense of self and love for those she cared about. Who would have thought someone like Impey could have touched Cardia’s precious heart so dearly? Even though everyone cruelly teased Impey about how unreliable and foolish he could be, Lupin recognized that Impey was an overall decent and smart guy. Not to mention, he depended on Impey more than once, so in a strange way, they were close friends, more so than with any of the other guys since they spent the longest time together. So, Lupin had no worries about Cardia’s safety, as she was in good hands.

After dumping the trash away, Impey skipped along with the other guys to reunite with Cardia and Lupin. It had been quite a while they all spent time like this, so he thoroughly relished in the moment. There was something about the comradery that Impey missed. Oh, wait! But that wasn’t to say he was lonely! He definitely was not at all! He was extremely grateful and full of joy that he could spend the rest of his days with Cardia chasing after _their_ dream of traveling to the moon one day. 

“Wow, I can’t believe Cardia actually ate everything.” Victor harmlessly commented as they walked along.

“One of these days, Impey is going to kill her with all of the food that he selects for her.” Van sarcastically said.

Impey was half-tempted to make a joke about Van’s atrocious cooking skills, but he doubted Van would take it as one. He also didn’t wish to sour the evening since Van took great pride in cooking despite his mediocre abilities. 

“It’s more like I’m going to shower her with all the love I can offer her.” Impey spoke in a jesting tone even though he was quite serious about it. 

“Make sure you don’t suffocate her while you’re at it.” Saint Germain lightly chuckled wearing his gentlemanly smile. 

“Wah! I would never do that! Cross my heart and my soul!” Impey dramatically placed his hand on his chest and raised his hand up as if taking a solemn oath. 

After meeting Cardia, he swore he would be her shining knight in armor, always protecting her no matter what. It was his promise to himself and, most importantly, to the woman he adored. Meeting her was like a blessing in disguise, a miracle even. He often spewed out silly words about love and passion, but deep inside, Impey carried his feelings of love for Cardia with honesty and pride. As a man, he would never let her down if he could help it.

When they returned to where Cardia and Lupin were standing, Impey noticed Cardia studying the compass. Oh, she must have brought it along with her. Seeing that made Impey’s heart dance with glee. He did pick out the right item after all, hehe!

Lupin quietly cleared his throat and stepped away to give him and Cardia some private space. Impey returned a silent nod, thanking Lupin for his kindness as usual. It was crazy to think he partnered up with Lupin in the first place, but life could take you to some very strange places. He never regretted it because it led him to meeting Cardia, the love of his life.

“Cardia? Are you all right?” Impey asked as he returned to her side.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I was thinking about how wonderful this gift is. And how I’ve been blessed to meet you.” Cardia truthfully admitted with an enchanting smile that lit up the dark night. 

Impey should have been used to her personality by now, but Cardia’s straightforwardness always caught him off guard especially with some of the things she could say. It made his heart race uncontrollably as if it were traveling at the speed of light. Goddamn, wasn’t it supposed to be the man who could charm the lady? It seemed Cardia did that to him all the time. Not that he minded. To him, she was a spectacular woman who he would never trade for anyone or anything else in the entire universe. 

After his parents and the old man passed away, he had been friendly with others, but he had never opened his heart up to another person. It wasn’t until he encountered Cardia who radiated with a dazzling beauty that he let his guard down and recounted his past, even telling her the origins of his grand dreams.

When they first met, he flirted with her not only because she was indeed a pretty woman, and he loved them plenty! But it was also because he wanted to make her feel comfortable interacting with him. Eh, in hindsight, that may have not been the best way. But in the end, she stole his heart and every fiber of his being. 

“Y-yeah! I mean, I am, too.” Impey embarrassingly admitted, feeling his cheeks flushing hotter by the minute, but then he seriously told her as he softly patted her head, “I’m glad to have met you, Cardia.”

He wished he could have caressed her cheek and perhaps even kissed her. It bothered him that he couldn’t be more intimate with Cardia, but luckily, she understood the feelings he tried to convey to her. He couldn’t help but feel he was the luckiest man in the world. 

Cardia stared back at Impey and loved how beautiful his green eyes shimmered along with his incredibly handsome smile. If only she could truly touch his face and perhaps even kiss him again… What she would give to do that in this exact moment.

“Um, I don’t mean to rain on your precious moment, but is that supposed to happen?” Victor awkwardly tried his best not to rudely interrupt. 

“Hmm? What is?” Impey snapped out of his reverie, completely oblivious of the situation. 

He had been so engrossed in the moment that he temporarily forgot the rest of his buddies were there with them. Oops. Most people would probably be dying from embarrassment, but Impey felt there was nothing to be embarrassed about since he was simply being affectionate with Cardia. Who could fault him for that?

Cardia gaped, noticing how the compass seem to be spinning on its own even though she hadn’t moved an inch. “I-Impey, is this supposed to be happening?”

“Whoa! Whoa! When I last checked, it was perfectly normal!” Impey’s eyes bugged out at the sight, however, he then scratched his chin in curiosity, “Huh, how is it doing that? Is it some new built-in function? It must be.”

Whoa, did this compass hold some secret power? Impey had no idea he stumbled upon such a fascinating relic! 

“Um, I don’t think compasses can do that, Impey.” Cardia hesitantly responded, unsure of how to interpret Impey’s somewhat ill-fitted response.

Impey appreciated Cardia’s words that took him back to reality. Oh, right. This wasn’t ordinary. With some of the highly bizarre situations they experienced, Impey found it hard to be surprised at times. Although, this was most definitely not in the realm of normalcy.

“Huh. I knew something was wrong with it.” Van half-seriously and half-comically stated with his eyebrows furrowed.

Before anyone had a chance to utter another word, an intense ray of light burst forth, seeming to blind anyone in its path. 

“Cardia!” Impey shouted, immediately grabbing onto her for safety. 

Shit! He had to protect Cardia even if this light devoured them whole. He couldn’t be afraid of some unknown force even if it would hurt him in the process. He already swore he would protect her, and he wasn’t going to break that promise today!

“Ah!” Cardia cried out as she closed her eyes, unable to see what was unfurling before her.

All she could feel was Impey’s strong arms enveloped around her. Despite the horrendous predicament, a part of her was relieved that Impey’s comforting presence was right next to hers. With him by her side, she could conquer anything.

“Impey! Cardia!” Lupin called out their names, fearing for their safety. 

Once the light abruptly disappeared, Impey and Cardia no longer stood before them. The only thing remaining was the compass, which quietly dropped to the ground. 

“Where the hell did they go?” Van seriously asked as he couldn’t believe what just transpired in front of them.

Saint Germain’s worst suspicions had come true. He suspected the item might have had some magical properties and intended to investigate about it on his own tomorrow. Unfortunately, it managed to activate on its own. He cursed at himself. Whoever had given it to Impey was no accident. Someone must have planned it.

“Cardia! Impey! Dammit. What happened to them?” Lupin anxiously said, deathly afraid for their well-being.

“I fear they’re no longer here in this world.” Saint Germain had a hunch that his suspicions were correct. 

“How can you be sure?” Victor turned around in curiosity.

Saint Germain wondered how he should phrase it. They had been through much together, but no one else in this group was aware of… certain elements that existed in this world. As Saint Germain contemplated on how to best lay out his thoughts, a loud, thundering crash interrupted his rumination. 

“Whoa, what’s going on all of a sudden?” Victor just knew today couldn’t be a normal outing after all.

High-pitched shrieks and screams of terror were heard all over the carnival. They even spotted innocent civilians rushing out of the place like a swarm of bugs. Everyone appeared to be scrambling for their lives. That could only mean danger was not far behind. 

“And why do I sense that this isn’t somehow a coincidence?” Van crossed his arms and seriously stated. 

“As fate would have it.” Saint Germain lightly chuckled with a mysterious smile on his face. 

Lupin quickly picked up the compass and hastily shoved it in his pocket. First, they would have to deal with the disorderly, chaotic situation over here. Then they would find a way to rescue their best friends. Lupin wasn’t a religious person like Saint Germain, but he prayed for the safety of Impey and Cardia. He had faith they would both survive until then. 

_“Just hold on, Impey. Cardia. We’ll find a way to bring you both back!”_ Lupin thought to himself.

XOXOXOXO

“Ahhhhh!” Liliana screamed with her eyes closed, not wanting to witness the last moments of her life.

Somehow, it felt as if she had been shot of a cannon ball and straight into ten layers of concrete walls. How come this was happening to her?!

Yang gritted his teeth, ignoring the wailing woman, as he bore the sensation of everything smashing into him all at once. Since he had been the one holding Liliana, he bore the brunt of the impact, slamming into the roof of some building and pounding against the groove and crack of every imaginable object that stabbed at his body. 

For most people, it would not be a far cry to say that he was gravely injured. He even noticed some minor cuts and bruises on his hands, and he was sure his body was banged up. However, Yang barely registered any of it and only widely grinned in cheerful glee while uncontrollably laughing to himself out of pure joy.

His mind could only soak in the wild ride as his numb body processed the all-time high. He had never been “transported” in such a fascinating manner, which baffled, but most importantly excited him. It also made him enthusiastic for what could happen next. He should have known that being next to this peculiar Italian woman was the right choice. He would be granted the thrill of his life.

Once she landed, she expected to feel the hard, cold ground. Instead, her landing was secured by firmness and warmness. Huh? She slowly opened her eyes, coughing a bit from all the dust in the air and hesitantly looked up. However, it was the last person she wanted see. 

“Y-y-yang?!” Liliana hoarsely gasped as her eyes blew wide open. 

“That is my name since the last time I checked.” Yang slyly smiled at Liliana with an amused chuckle.

“Ahhh!” Liliana tried to fling herself off of Yang, however, he had a tight grip around her waist, locking her underneath his right arm. “What are you doing? Let go of me!” 

She was extremely uncomfortable being this close to him as she noticed those beaming yellow eyes that made her swallow hard and curl up in fear. Liliana had never been alone with him before, but she doubted he had anything decent in mind.

“Why? After all I did, I don’t even deserve a thank you?” Yang pretended to be hurt by her behavior. 

He honestly didn’t care about receiving any courteous remarks; however, he did enjoy playing around with her when her reactions were so visceral. For some reason, he couldn’t get enough of it. 

Instead of answering his half-hearted question, Liliana realized that Yang protected her from the whole strange incident. Oh, she supposed he had a point. She barely got hurt- Huh? She looked down and noticed a huge gash across his left arm. 

“You- You’re hurt!” Liliana piped up as she noticed how much he was bleeding. 

Yang hadn’t bothered to inspect himself earlier and only glanced over at it because of Liliana’s words. “I see.” 

To him, pain meant nothing. He grew up in the Gau Lung Seng Zaai where he had suffered worse. In a way, he grew numb to it because it was something he experienced on a daily basis. If he had buckled underneath the pressure of misery and despair, then he would have never survived in that hellhole of a place. 

Liliana saw how nonchalant Yang appeared to be about it and thought it was peculiar. Did it not hurt him? Most people would be groaning in pain or sweating profusely but not him. His reaction frankly puzzled her. 

Well, no matter what, he did save her and got hurt in doing so. It was only right for her to try to fix him up as best as she could until she could get access to better tools. She took off her white shawl and delicately wrapped it around his wound, so that it would be tight enough to stop the bleeding but not amputate his arm.

Yang quietly watched her as she tended to him. Huh. He thought she would have disregarded him because of how afraid she was of him. This woman never ceased to be surprising, did she? 

“It… should do for now.” Liliana saw how awkward it looked, but she had nothing else on her to stop the bleeding. 

He simply gazed at her, studying those innocent emerald eyes. He closely examined her, noticing her well-endowed features and attractive white pearly skin. In that instant, he wished to consume everything there was about her from those enticing red lips, that long flowing golden hair, and even that overflowing sweet, hot scent radiating from her body. 

Liliana wondered why he went quiet, so she glanced up and was stunned that he was intensely staring at her. W-what did he want? A part of her almost wanted to frankly ask him, but she was silenced by those piercing yellow eyes, which somehow bore into her soul as if they could see everything there was about her. 

“Yang-” Liliana started to speak, hoping he would respond. 

He reached out for her shoulder and shoved her down to the floor, pinning her down to the ground without much thought. 

“Ah! Yang! What are you doing?” Liliana was totally taken by surprise and tried to catch her breath from his sudden actions. 

He ignored her feeble words and leaned in close to her face, observing her confused but firm expression. He came to know her through their interactions and found her peculiar and entertaining. However, never did his heart contain such a compelling voracious desire to taste every inch of any woman. It seemed this exotic creature broke through all exceptions he never made in his lifetime.

Liliana held her breath, knowing that she couldn’t resist his advances. She… She didn’t exactly know him particularly well, so she was clearly against whatever he was planning. But she could barely push him off because he was much stronger than her. No! She had fight back. She couldn’t let Yang steal her first kiss!

“Yang! What are you doing? This isn’t the time-” Liliana worked up the courage to speak clearly to him.

But her words were interrupted by a barrage of noises and excessive hollering outside. It was then Liliana turned her head to the side and noticed they landed in some storage room. But where exactly were they? No, something about the atmosphere felt different. Like they were no longer in Burlone. But that couldn’t be possible, right? 

Yang heard people furiously shouting outside as he frowned in annoyance. Talk about terrible timing. Did they truly have to rain on his parade? Feeling extremely peeved, he immediately stood up and lifted Liliana up with him. He hated it when people stomped in on him. When all of this was finished and done with, he aimed to collect his prize. And nobody was going to stop him from doing that.

“It seems we’re not in Italy anymore.” Yang casually took note of the voices he heard.

“It certainly doesn’t feel like Burlone anymore.” Liliana had a hard time believing in her own words. 

Yang could sense footsteps rushing their way. He narrowed his eyes, wondering what kind of commotion they caused. There must have been some big event going on, and they must have crashed the party. He spotted a window, not even needing to think about his next course of action. 

“Oh, no. Someone is coming up here.” Liliana softly muttered under her breath. “We should-”

Without even bothering to listen to Liliana, Yang carried her up in his arms and slung her body over his shoulder. 

“Ahhh! What are you doing?!” Liliana hollered on the top of her lungs. 

“What else?” Yang chuckled, finding this whole scene hilarious. How did this woman have so much energy? She never ceased to amuse him with how feisty she could be.

Naturally, he would simply kill anyone who tried to apprehend him. However, with Liliana, he sensed that this woman might do something foolish and try to surrender to the authorities. Unfortunately, he had no intention of dying or handing over things which belonged to him. If he was stuck in some unknown place, he was determined to find out where he was and what was taking place. He would take full advantage and enjoy every piece of this “adventure”. 

“We’re going to fly.” Yang smirked with glowing yellow eyes that gleamed in the night. 

“W-wh-what?!” Liliana was stunned by his farcical answer. “You…! You’re not serious, are you?!”

“Is this going to be your first time?” Yang teasingly inquired with a smug tone. 

Liliana’s mind could hardly process the words escaping from this crazy man’s mouth. Was he freaking nuts?! A part of her was seriously contemplating on dying rather than being glued next to him!

Yang loudly laughed in unrestrained glee and kicked his feet up before launching himself straight for the window, crashing right into it. 

“Ahhhhhhh!” Liliana screeched like a banshee, extremely frightened for her life.

What in God’s name did she do to deserve this?! She didn’t ask for this! She was a pious believer in God! Dear Lord! Please save her from this insane situation!

Unfortunately, there was nothing below them, so they ended up falling straight down to the dirt ground and tumbled for a bit before stopping. 

Yang coughed once, but he instantly caught his breath. Haha! How long had it been since he had done something like that? Too bad the rush of excitement didn’t last longer. 

Somehow, he managed to land just fine with Liliana safely on the ground. She was groaning in pain, feeling sore all over. She must have had bruises, covering her body from that hard crash. How the heck did Yang even manage to do that? 

Seeing her in an extremely vulnerable state gave Yang the insatiable urge to continue where he left off earlier. How could he help it? It was her fault for looking so delectable in this very moment.

Just as the thought entered his mind, he instantly sensed an unknown presence, an ominous force speeding up right behind him. He was about to unsheathe his blade, but it seemed the enemy was a hair faster. He heard a gun cock right to his head. He grinned, knowing he would be shot if he budged an inch. Well, this was certainly an intriguing turnout.

“Don’t move.” An unfamiliar man with glasses spoke, pointing his shotgun right at Yang’s temple.

Liliana’s eyes shot wide opened as she gaped soundlessly, spotting a long shotgun pointed right at Yang. Oh, God! Who was this intimidating stranger? 

“I’m not moving.” Yang sarcastically said with a pleased expression on his face. 

This man seemed to be fast and strong. Just how powerful was he? He was quite curious to test out this man’s skills. Most people would have been moved by fear, but all Yang could think about was how exhilarating everything was. Was it even possible that so many tremendous things were happening all at once? He felt he could almost die with joy if that were even possible.

“Van, what’s going on?” They heard another voice approaching from behind. 

Liliana greatly feared for her life, feeling disoriented, anxious, and apprehensive. How was she going to get out of this bind? Not to mention, she was stuck with Yang who obviously lived in the heat of the moment. For some reason, she couldn’t envision living for long.

XOXOXOXO

“Whoooooaaaa!!!!” Impey cried out as he tightly held onto Cardia within his arms.

Cardia couldn’t find the strength to shout as she tried to not bury her face into Impey’s chest. The last thing she wished to do was to burn off his body while he protected her. That would be a horrible sign of thanks and appreciation in this chaotic mess.

It felt as if they had been launched from a real rocket and thrown across the entire universe with the full force of gravity pushing against their bodies. Somehow, they managed to torpedo into a building, crashing right through the concrete roof, before slamming against the cold hard floor.

Impey winced, already feeling an intense pain reverberate across his body, against the fast impact of the roof and the floor. But he ignored it, not wanting to think about it. Right now, the only thing that mattered was Cardia’s safety. 

“Ah, fuck!” Impey coughed a little once they managed to land. 

Goddammit. If he were a normal human, he would have been crushed and died from the tremendous impact. This was the one time he thanked his powers for saving him. Disregarding himself, he checked all over Cardia first. 

“Are you all right, Cardia?” Impey hastily sat up, noticing Cardia trying to gather herself from the impact. 

Cardia tried to answer, but Impey already began to carefully inspect her. She felt somewhat shy, but she deeply appreciated his kindness. 

“I’m fine, Impey. Really.” Cardia reassured him since he was being a bit of a worrywart, not that she wasn’t grateful for it, but he could really invade her personal space at times. That made her both highly embarrassed and worried because she feared burning him alive with her skin. For some reason, he tended to forget her poisonous power, and she had to constantly remind him.

“Are you sure? Don’t hold back. I’m great at fixing up all kinds of problems!” Impey emphatically said as he checked for any injuries that Cardia might have had. 

“I’m fine. Really!” Cardia lightly pinched Impey’s cheek with her gloved fingers. 

“Ach! Stinging love!” Impey humorously reacted, then said, “I should be turned away from it, but it only reminds me that I’m still alive! And that I can continue to love you even more!”

Feeling overjoyed that they survived their dangerous peril, Impey closed the distance between them. 

“Impey! What are you doing?” Cardia gasped, sensing only immediate danger from Impey’s impulsive actions.

He almost lost his life and went to Heaven for good. He was in no way religious like Saint Germain, but he thanked to the mighty God above and felt grateful that he could still be with Cardia for another day! He had to commemorate this moment lest he forget how close he came to death’s door!

“I’m thanking God for his almighty generosity in granting me this splendid moment! For letting me live another day with my beautiful Cardia!” Impey heartily declared, which only further puzzled Cardia who wore a blank stare on her face.

Barely able to think straight, Impey gripped onto Cardia’s shoulders and hastily leaned in to passionately pour all of his love to his beautiful girlfriend with a zealous kiss. He hoped Cardia would be able to feel every inch of his overflowing love that burned brightly like the heat of the sun.

What was Impey doing?! Her heart pounded even faster as her entire world slowed down as though everything was moving frame-by-frame. As much as she wished she could kiss him, her instincts kicked in. If he did that, he would irreparably hurt himself even further!

“Ah! No!” Cardia shouted and instinctively slapped the side of his face with her gloved hand. 

“Ah, shit!” Impey squeezed his eyes shut from the unexpected force. “Your love is so painful, but it’s still so wonderful!”

“Goodness, Impey! Are you all right?” Cardia felt guilty at how fast she reacted, but she already tried so hard not to burn him earlier and now he was almost undoing her hard work. 

Goddamn, Cardia could really pack a punch! He almost saw stars for a moment! What the hell did Van teach her? In any case, he realized he might have been too rash, but he couldn’t help it. His heart was jumping for joy, and he had an urgent desire to let Cardia know about it. 

“Ahh-ha-ha! I’m perfectly fine! Nothing that my heart can’t handle.” Impey forced a cheery smile as he rubbed his stinging cheek that hurt more than the bodily impact of crashing landing here.

Shit, he completely lied through his teeth. He could feel the sharp pains shooting up his body as he tried to move. However, he couldn’t think about that right now. They had to figure out what happened to them. 

Cardia wanted to apologize, but both she and Impey already knew what she was going to berate him about. She let out a small sigh of relief. Her body ached a little, but it was probably nothing compared to Impey’s injuries. They had to apply some first aid until they got back home where he could receive proper treatment. 

“That certainly gave me a big scare there. I had no idea we’d go zipping through the sky.” Impey lightly joked about the weird situation they were thrusted into. “Man, it really felt like we rode a real rocket to the moon! I almost thought we were going to fly into outer reaches of the universe.”

“Except we flew down.” Cardia bluntly stated the obvious, feeling Impey was being a bit too carefree about their precarious situation.

“Hahaha, we did, didn’t we? Too bad we didn’t have the Gravity Alleviator with us. We really could have gone to the moon.” Impey continued to jest as Cardia sighed with a tiny smile. 

Even though she wished to scold Impey to take their predicament more seriously, she couldn’t deny that her heart warmed up whenever she heard him throwing out nonsensical jokes. In reality, Impey was only trying to lighten the mood since it was already so somber. Goodness, she really did have a soft spot for his antics. 

She then noticed they were inside a church. Huh? She peered up and noticed a big gaping hole in the roof. Did… Did they seriously fall through the sky? Something about that seemed too insane and yet she found it hard to be shocking. With all that had happened to them, nothing seemed impossible.

“Huh? Whoa, inside a church? Man, I should have been better prepared.” Impey slowly sat up, carefully studying his surroundings. The architecture of the building was beautifully constructed despite its somewhat plain colors. Inside there were rows of pews, an ornate altar, and numerous of mosaic stained-glass windows that adorned the walls. 

Unfortunately, because of the disaster they created, they somehow managed to have broken a few rows of pews and even creating a crack in the wall. Damn. They did a number on this place. More importantly, though, it was a church! And that could only signify one thing.

“Huh? What do you mean…?” Cardia was lost as to the meaning behind Impey’s words. 

Impey gently took Cardia’s hand and softly said, “You… wearing a sexy wedding dress with an alluring white veil, covering your face as you hold a bouquet of red roses. And me in a dashing tuxedo anxiously waiting to unveil that stunning face and appealing pink rosy lips…”

This would have been the perfect moment if only he also had brought a bouquet of roses along and could set up a long red carpet. Ahh, he could just see it now! Cardia donning a luscious, overflowing white dress that perfectly accentuated her petite body. A part of him became giddy thinking about it. Impey even conjured up the joyous moment in his mind as he fantasized about how amazingly wonderful Cardia would look like on that day.

Cardia’s entire face flushed at Impey’s descriptive words. “I-I-Impey!” 

Oh, god! Why was he spewing out such words? Yes, he did ask for her hand in marriage, but they hadn’t discussed about the finer details or… anything of that nature! Just thinking about it made her uncomfortable. Nothing would make her happier than to be officially wedded to Impey. In fact, simply thinking about it made her blood burn with unbearable sizzling heat as she felt somewhat dizzy. Not to mention, Impey’s handsome eyes were staring right into her own. She couldn’t escape that seductive gaze, feeling herself being sucked further in. Eeek! What was she thinking?!

Impey also immensely blushed when Cardia became so adorably cute. Goddammit! He almost wanted to kiss her, but he would get burned alive if he tried… which would defeat the whole purpose of them being together. Curse God! One of these days, maybe even now, he would be capable of physically pouring his love to Cardia.

“I can just see it now!” Impey casted aside his rational logic as he got carried away and made a second attempt to make contact with Cardia’s appetizing lips. 

“Ahhhh! Impey!” Cardia used her index finger and thumb to squeeze his nose to stop him from being ridiculous. 

“Ack! Shit! C-c-can’t b-b-breathe!!!” Impey shouted in a strained breath as he was depressed that his plan was foiled once again. 

Through the shining moonlight, Cardia realized that Impey’s forehead was bleeding and his body was bruised black and blue all over. She also spotted a huge cut on his knee that horrified her. She immediately released his nose as she was more worried about his wounds.

“You idiot! I thought you said you were fine.” Cardia sighed and pulled out a handkerchief she had on her. 

Unfortunately, she didn’t have much else on her to clean up Impey’s wounds. They had to get to a clinic or hospital of some kind, so his wounds could be cleaned up more thoroughly.

“Huh? I am super duper fine. What are you-?” Impey wondered why Cardia wore that stern expression until she reached up, with her handkerchief and lightly pressed against his forehead. 

“You’re bleeding. We have to hurry up and find a hospital, so you can get treated.” Cardia seriously said in a concerned fashion. 

Impey tried to protest to keep her from worrying, but Cardia shushed him. A pink tint painted his cheek due to her affectionate actions. “Haha, you really are amazing, Cardia.” 

“Huh?” Cardia stopped to gaze at him, wondering what he meant. 

“Even in this crazy situation, you still take the time to worry about me.” Impey commented with a chuckle. 

He reached out as he tenderly stroked her hair. He was fully aware of his sometimes outlandish personality of wanting to endanger himself to kiss her luscious lips, but it was because of his deep appreciation and love burning inside of himself for her. Unfortunately, Cardia still carried the poison within her body, which made it impossible for them share any close contact. However, he wouldn’t let that stop him from expressing how he felt around her.

“O-of course I worry about you. Regardless of any situation.” Cardia sheepishly answered, relishing in Impey’s strong hands. 

Impey was the most precious person in the world to her, and she couldn’t stand the thought of ever losing him. Yes, she treasured their friends, but at the end of the day, Impey made her whole. He taught her to love and accept herself for who she was. It also didn’t matter what she was. She mattered as much as anyone else to Impey. 

“Cardia, I… want to ask you something.” Impey began to speak in a somber tone, which made Cardia anxiously curious. 

If the situation was in dire straits, then Impey already thought about prioritizing Cardia’s safety over his. Although, he was absolutely positive that Cardia would object to the idea of sacrificing himself for her. Erm, he wasn’t a fan of dying a premature death, but he felt it was his duty to protect her as the man who swore his life and love to her. He would never live it down with himself if he allowed Cardia to get hurt or be captured by some threatening third party.

She was the one person who understood him and never laughed at him for his insurmountable, crazy dream of traveling to the moon. So, he would do everything within his grasp to hold onto that shining beacon of hope. He would fight until his last breath to keep her alive.

Her heart thumped hard against her chest as her body felt as light as air. What did he wish to say to her? 

“If we get into something that’s hopeless-” Impey began to speak as Cardia intently stared at him.

“W-what was that? Open the door!” An anxious voice echoed from outside, cutting off whatever he might have had to say. 

“Shit!” Impey panicked, realizing that someone else was also here! 

His mind sprang into action, knowing they had to escape pronto. But when he tried to get up, one of his legs seized with excruciating pain. Damn, did he sprain his ankle? He found it very difficult to move, let alone even standing up. He must have injured himself much more severely than he realized.

Cardia also comprehended the gravity of the situation. This was bad, and they needed to move quickly. But Impey was gravely hurt, and she would have a hard time, assisting Impey to move since he was much taller and heavier than her. Shoot! They were in no state to run away, were they? And where would they even go? She had no idea where they were. 

To their dreadful luck, their adversaries moved faster than the two of them, and the doors crashed opened, revealing a bunch of men in suits with guns pointed at them. 

“Don’t move!” A commanding voice shouted out with ferocity. 

What the group found before them was a man and a woman whom no one recognized. 

“Nicola, who is this?” One of the men in suits wore a confounded expression, asking in an even more confused tone. 

Impey recognized the head honcho right away without even needing an introduction. It must have been that suave-looking guy wearing a sleek white blazer and a blue fedora hat. There was an air of authority and leadership surrounding this man. Something about him gave Impey the chills. He felt like one of those London Firm mafia guys, judging from the way he walked and glared at them. 

Cardia rapidly blinked her eyes, bewildered by the sudden unfolding of events. What was this? Who were these people? The air, the environment, and the atmosphere. Suddenly, none of it felt familiar. 

“And who might you two be?” The man called Nicola narrowed his eyes, demanding an answer. 

Normally, Impey might pull out a joke in this situation to lighten the mood, but he could tell that this man thirsted for blood. If he wasn’t careful, then Cardia and he could both be killed before they even had a fighting chance. This definitely wasn’t their world. But if that was the case, then where did they end up?


End file.
